Map3k14 As a Regulator of Innate and Adaptive Immune Response During Acute Viral Infection
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pathogens Article Map3k14 as a Regulator of Innate and Adaptive Immune Response during Acute Viral Infection Thamer A. Hamdan 1,*, Hilal Bhat 1, Lamin B. Cham 1 , Tom Adomati 1, Judith Lang 1 , 1 1 1 2 1,3, , Fanghui Li , Ali Murtaza , Cornelia Hardt , Philipp A. Lang , Vikas Duhan * y and 1, Karl S. Lang y 1 Institute of Immunology, Medical Faculty, University of Duisburg-Essen, Hufelandstraße 55, 45147 Essen, Germany; [email protected] (H.B.); [email protected] (L.B.C.); [email protected] (T.A.); [email protected] (J.L.); [email protected] (F.L.); [email protected] (A.M.); [email protected] (C.H.); [email protected] (K.S.L.) 2 Department of Molecular Medicine II, Medical Faculty, Heinrich Heine University, Universitätsstrasse 1, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany; [email protected] 3 Immunology in Cancer and Infection Laboratory, QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Herston, QLD 4006, Australia * Correspondence: [email protected] (T.A.H.); [email protected] (V.D.) These authors jointly supervised this work. y Received: 6 December 2019; Accepted: 31 January 2020; Published: 4 February 2020 Abstract: The replication of virus in secondary lymphoid organs is crucial for the activation of antigen-presenting cells. Balanced viral replication ensures the sufficient availability of antigens and production of cytokines, and both of which are needed for virus-specific immune activation and viral elimination. Host factors that regulate coordinated viral replication are not fully understood. In the study reported here, we identified Map3k14 as an important regulator of enforced viral replication in the spleen while performing genome-wide association studies of various inbred mouse lines in a model of lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus (LCMV) infection. When alymphoplasia mice (aly/aly, Map3k14aly/aly, or Nikaly/aly), which carry a mutation in Map3k14, were infected with LCMV or vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV), they display early reductions in early viral replication in the spleen, reduced innate and adaptive immune activation, and lack of viral control. Histologically, scant B cells and the lack of CD169+ macrophages correlated with reduced immune activation in Map3k14aly/aly mice. The transfer of wildtype B cells into Map3k14aly/aly mice repopulated CD169+ macrophages, restored enforced viral replication, and resulted in enhanced immune activation and faster viral control. Keywords: viral infection; lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus; vesicular stomatitis virus; genome-wide association study; Alymphoplasia mice; marginal zone 1. Introduction The spleen is a highly organized lymphoid organ that harbors a discrete population of immune cells with versatile functions [1]. Microanatomically, the spleen is composed of two distinct compartments, the red pulp and the white pulp, which are separated by a specialized interface, called the marginal zone (MZ) in rodents and the perifollicular zone in humans [2]. The red pulp zone plays a crucial role in filtering the blood, recycling iron and producing antibodies from plasmablasts and plasma cells. The white pulp zone contains B- and T-cell compartments as sheaths. Between these compartments, the MZ mainly contains B cells and macrophages [3]. Marrginal zone B cells (MZ B) cells are described as innate-like lymphocytes, because they can generate an antibody response against commensal and foreign pathogens much more rapidly than Pathogens 2020, 9, 96; doi:10.3390/pathogens9020096 www.mdpi.com/journal/pathogens Pathogens 2020, 9, 96 2 of 16 follicular B cells. MZ B cells can mount T cell dependent and independent antigens, and they express non-mutated immunoglobulin-variable (IgV) genes, some of which encode B-cell receptors (BCRs). MZ B cells are professional antigen (Ag)-presenting cells (APCs) that can present Ag to activate naïve CD4+ T cells after reactivity [4–7]. Being strategically located in the marginal interface, the marginal zone macrophages (MZMs) and marginal metallophilic macrophages (MMMs) are key components during type I interferon (IFN-I)–mediated containment of the virus after phagocytosis, which results in viral clearance. Nevertheless, these cells can prime the adaptive immune response by presenting the antigens directly to B cells [8] or by capturing the antigen via resident dendritic cells (DCs) from the conduits that connect the MZ and the white pulp, culminating in presenting these antigens to T cells [9,10]. These macrophages play a prominent role in protection against fulminant infection with vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) or lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus (LCMV) [11]. For instance, the ablation of MZMs by clodronate leads to the dissemination of virus to the peripheral organs and to T-cell exhaustion during LCMV infection [12]. Similarly, mice that are devoid of MZMs are highly prone to VSV infection [13]. Moreover, studies using MZM-depleted mice showed that MZMs contribute in controlling Listeria monocytogenes infections [11]. Maintaining intact splenic architecture is important in guaranteeing immune surveillance. The orchestration between B cells and MZMs is crucial for the architecture and quality of the MZ [14]. For example, the absence of B cells results in the ablation of MMMs and MZMs [15]. Another study showed that the integrity and function of organized MZ critically depend on the existence of B cells, as documented in studies using CD70TG mice, in which the B cells were steadily depleted because the high expression of the tumor necrosis factor (TNF) family member CD70, and subsequent loss of splenic marginal zone [16]. On the other hand, the disruption of Src homology 2–containing inositol 5-phosphatase (SHIP) in myeloid cells demonstrates that MZMs are necessary for the retention and trafficking of MZ Bs [14,17]. A mouse strain called alymphoplasia (aly/aly) mice, mitogen-activated protein kinase 14 (Map3k14aly/aly) mice, or NF-κB–inducing kinase (NIKaly/aly) mice is defined by the complete absence of lymph nodes (LN) and Peyer’s patches (PP). These mice have no MZ and they exhibit disorganized splenic and thymic architecture and, thus, immune intolerance against viral infections. The atrophic lymphoid structure in these murine models is caused by an autosomal recessive point mutation in the aly locus situated on chromosome 11, which encodes Nik. Nik is a key mediator of Nf-κB activation by the TNF receptor family and it is essential in the development and maintenance of B cells. Nik interacts with the TNF receptor–associated factor (TRAF) family of proteins and its downstream molecules, such as lymphotoxin-β receptor (Ltβr) and CD40 [18–22]. We implemented a genome-wide association study (GWAS) of inbred mouse strains to determine the mechanisms that regulate early viral replication in the spleen. We found that Map3k14 is a key mediator of immune surveillance during viral infection, as it promotes the immune activation, which is dependent on viral replication in the spleen. Map3k14aly/aly mice showed limited early replication of LCMV and VSV and had a blunted innate and adaptive immune activation. We attributed the underlying mechanism to the deficiency of marginal zone B cells, which are prominent regulators of the integrity of lymphoid organ architecture, with the help of transfer experiments and generation of bone marrow chimeric mice. 2. Results 2.1. Genome-Wide Association Study Shows That Map3k14 Is a Regulator of Viral Replication in the Spleen We executed genome-wide association study (GWAS) using different inbred mouse lines which have genetic variations due to single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) present in introns and exons of various genes to gain insight about the novel host factors that determine immune activation during virus infection [23]. We infected these inbred mouse lines with lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus Pathogens 2020, 9, 96 3 of 16 (LCMV) and determined the early viral titers in the spleen after three days. We observed remarkable differences in the virus replication between the tested mouse lines (Figure1A). Next, we correlated the biological response (viral titers) and genotype (SNPs) for these mouse lines while using efficient mixed-model association (EMMA), as described previously [24,25]. EMMA analysis revealed the SNP mm37-11-103083091 at position 11:103,089.4k in mitogen-activated protein kinase 14 (Map3k14) gene Pathogens 2020, 9, x FOR PEER REVIEW 4 of 17 as one of the top rank candidates among all of the SNPs (Figure1B,C). Figure 1. Inbred mouse strains infected intravenously (i.v) with 200 plaque-forming units (PFU) of Figure 1. Inbred mouse strains infected intravenously (i.v) with 200 plaque-forming units (PFU) of lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus (LCMV) strain WE. (A) Viral titers in spleen three days after infection (n = 5–8 per group, pooled from two independent experiments). (B) Manhattan plot showing the distribution of single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) on each chromosome (x-axis) and the Pathogens 2020, 9, 96 4 of 16 lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus (LCMV) strain WE. (A) Viral titers in spleen three days after infection (n = 5–8 per group, pooled from two independent experiments). (B) Manhattan plot showing the distribution of single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) on each chromosome (x-axis) and the associated P values (y-axis) as determined by enhanced mismatch mutation analysis (EMMA) analysis based on the viral titers in spleens from tested inbred mouse strains. (C) Shown is the distribution of SNPs in chromosome 11. (D) Map3k14aly/+ mice and Map3k14aly/aly mice were infected with 2 106 PFU × of LCMV strain WE and were killed 24 hours after infection (n = 5 per group). Right panel: representative immunofluorescence of spleen histologic sections from the mouse groups and stained for LCMV (green), CD169+ cells (red), and F4/80 antibodies (blue). Each image is representative of images from 5 mice per group. Scale bar, 200 µm. Left panel: viral titers in spleen after LCMV infection. (E) Left panel: viral titers in the spleen of WT mice and Map3k14aly/aly mice that were infected with 2 107 PFU of × vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) and killed seven hours (h) after infection (n = 4 per group).